June 07, 2006

Dauphiné Stage 3 now underway

Italy's time trial champion Marco Pinotti was the early leader of today's time trial, finishing the 43 kilometer (26 mile) course in 54:42.
Levi Leipheimer comes through superfast: He clocks a 54:05.1! Looks like his disappointing prologue really was because of the loose handlebars.
Landis is on the course, and was 3rd fastest at the 8-kilometer mark. Moreau, Vinokourov, Valverde, and Kashechkin are on course, as well.
Popovych comes in with a very respectable 54:51; that's got him in 3rd, but likely to slide.
Rabobank's Denis Menchov comes in a little slower than Popovych.
At the 2nd check, at 28.5 km, Landis is 4 seconds faster than Leipheimer. Zabriskie betters Landis's time at the first checkpoint. Landis comes in at 53:41! That will take the lead, at least for now.
Moreau 56:15. Kashechkin 57:27.
Hincapie looks extremely smooth; he's likely to overtake Mancebo. He's third at the 2nd check point.
Valverde comes in at 7th so far, essentially tied with Popovych at 54:51.
Zabriskie is 45 seconds up on Floyd Landis at the 28.5-k checkpoint! He's so quiet on the bike -- I couldn't believe his 3rd place at the Tour de Georgia time trial, because he doesn't labor on the bike like a lot of riders, just goes fast, fast, fast.
Hincapie puts Americans on all three steps of the podium, coming in at 54:23, 18 seconds behind Leipheimer. Zabriskie is certain to slot in there, probably right up top.
Mancebo 55:38.
Zabriskie in 52:48! That's 53 seconds faster than Landis, who was 24 seconds faster than Leipheimer. That's very likely to vault him up into 2nd on the GC tonight. Nobody coming will better that; the question is how close Zabriskie can get to Philippe Gilbert on the overall. He's 5:22 or so back before the stage -- that's too much to take the jersey back.
Gilbert gives back about 2 and a half minutes. He'll hold the leader's jersey for another day.
Landis's teammate Bert Grabsch did an awesome TT, in 54:26, that stood up for 5th on the day. The United States takes all 4 top spots: Zabriskie, Landis, Leipheimer, and Hincapie.
Current GC:
1) Philippe Gilbert, Francaise des Jeux
2) Zabriskie, CSC, at 2:47
3) Landis, Phonak, at 3:48
4) Leipheimer, Gerolsteiner, at 4:20
5) Hincapie. Discovery Channel, at 4:24
6) Grabsch, Phonak, at 4:34
7) Vladimir Gusev, Discovery Channel